Astoria Greengrass doesn't want to marry anybody. She wants to grow up and be an angry cat lady. Truly, she probably wouldn't mind being an angry cat lady.

But she's a Greengrass, and a girl, so her decisions are not for her to make. Her father tells her that she will be marrying Draco Malfoy the summer after her seventh year at Hogwarts. She doesn't try to argue. They get married two months after the proposal.

It's not a true marriage. She doesn't love him — she doesn't think, truly, that she could ever love anyone, she doesn't think that she's ever loved anyone — and he doesn't love her. They have some kind of odd relationship full of mutual respect and friendship but not any kind of love, none at all.

Then she needs to get pregnant. Of course, she must, because she's a Malfoy after all, and her line must be continued. After all, someone must take on the money in the bank vaults after she and Draco die.

After a collection of fertilizing potions they get the job done. It's awkward and not very fun, but it's done. Astoria Malfoy has a boy inside of her stomach at the age of twenty-one. And maybe she never wanted to get married, but she still wants a child. Maybe she will be able to love a child.

Scorpius Malfoy is born nine months to that day and she loves him. She doesn't love his father but she loves him. He has the trademark almost-bleached Malfoy hair and scorching grey eyes but she can see a little of the softness of her features in him. Oh, she loves the little boy.

Maybe Draco loves him too. Maybe. Draco Malfoy never talks about Scorpius like he's anything more than a legacy but sometimes Astoria sees hope in his closed-off features. Maybe, she thinks, maybe.

Astoria Malfoy dies before her son goes to Hogwarts. She dies without seeing him fall in love, before he makes his way in the world. But before she goes she reminds Draco that Scorpius will never have his decisions made for him. Draco will never carve Scorpius' path.

She dies with a smile on her lips, after everything. For hope, simply, that Scorpius will be free.


For TGS, Trelawney's Tea Ceremony, Part One: Shifuku (仕覆)(drawstring pouch): A pouch made of fine material used to store the tea caddy. Write about a character who is rich.

I don't really like this and I'm sorry, but just to be clear, Astoria's edging on aromantic/asexual here, I think. Word Count: 379.

Thanks for reading and I'm sorry.

Dee